As We Fade Into Darkness
by falsehero
Summary: Warriors align against a common foe some searching for answers, some searching for meaning, some only to test their strength. Can they overcome their own troubles to face the one threatening the world. Will feature one original character. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

A dark figure sat in the center of the room enshrouded by shadows. His intense eyes gave off a slight purple glow; a small sign of the power surging through his body. Over his intimidating frame he wore a red military uniform and a red military style hat. He sat motionless in his throne amidst the darkness.

The giant video monitor situated in front of him suddenly came on emitting a pale white light. It illuminated his features, exaggerating his daunting figure in a most eerie fashion.

"Lord Bison, we have much to discuss," said a raspy voice approaching from behind. It belonged to Bison's top scientists and advisors, Randy Sipe. He was a small man with a hunched up back and thick glasses. His receding hairline left only traces of his white hair. He had worked for Shadowloo, Bison's criminal empire, for years now after being exiled from the scientific community and facing a life in prison for his cruel experiments on human beings. Bison had given him a chance to continue his work in exchange for his allegiance.

He came to a stop alongside Bison and pointed a remote control at the video monitor. A video played of two men fighting before a large crowd. It was a replay of the last match of the World Warrior tournament. The two men on the screen were Sagat, the so-called God of Muay Thai and now one of Bison's bodyguards, and Ryu, a wandering warrior who had potential to be a great asset to Bison.

They watched as the scene played itself out on the monitor. A beaten Ryu had fallen to the ground and Sagat offered him his hand to help him up. A look of hatred and anger crossed Ryu's face and to Sagat's surprise Ryu leapt from the ground his arm extended upward. The attack was known as the Shoryuken, or Dragon Punch, and it was displayed here at its most devastating. It left a deep scar running across Sagat's chest nearly killing him and leaving Ryu the winner of the tournament.

"We found him," smirked Randy, "He is at the Suzaku Castle in Japan."

"Excellent," stated Bison flatly, revealing no emotion in his voice. A small smile crossed his face as he thought about the possibilities if he could control a warrior with as much potential as Ryu. And he would control him or he would destroy him.

Randy once again pointed the remote at the monitor. The image changed to a video of a beautiful blonde girl dressed in tight-fitting jeans and a white tee shirt. Anger flashed across Bison's eyes briefly as the image was displayed.

"We managed to track down Cammy White, as well," said Randy, the smile having faded from his face as well. "She has apparently been with the British Special Forces unit Delta Red but she is currently taking some time off to investigate where she came from. She is in Metro City, presumably to crash a Shadowloo sponsored street fighting event this weekend."

Bison remained quiet, contemplating this turn of events. Randy stood awkwardly shifting his weight from one leg to the other. He turned off the video monitor and cleared his throat before continuing.

"We are nearing completion on the Psycho Drive. It should be fully operational within the week."

"Good. You have done well. Now leave me," said Bison and gestured towards the door. Randy bowed to his master and turned to leave. He hesitated when he got near the door.

"My lord, your Shi-Ten-Nou are waiting outside. What should I tell them?"

"Send them in." And with that Randy nodded in acknowledgement and stepped out the door.

The Shi-Ten-Nou were Bison's feared personal guard. It consisted of three immensely talented and ruthless warriors.

First among them was Balrog. Balrog had once be a rising star in professional boxing in America but had been banned due to his ruthless nature. He had intentionally caused permanent injuries in several of his opponents and finally killed one man. After being banned from boxing Balrog started on a life of crime eventually leading to joining up with Shadowloo. Unlike the other members of the Shi-Ten-Nou Balrog was not specifically recruited to be part of Bison's personal guard but rather had to work his way up from the bottom before he was recognized for his ability. This has lead to some tension as the other two members look down on Balrog at times, thinking of him as not their equal. Balrog didn't really care one way or another. His motivation was simply to be paid. Balrog is African-American and where's blue trunks with a blue sleeveless shirt.

Next was Vega Fabio le Cerna, once a honorable Spanish nobleman turned sadistic murderer. He was born into a noble Catalonian family in Spain but after his father's death their family's status dwindled until his mother remarried for financial security. Vega lived a privileged life and took up bullfighting, a cultural tradition. He became rather popular amongst the crowds watching the bullfights for his natural grace and agility. He was especially popular to the young women who adored him for his beauty. Eventually, Vega went to Japan to study ninjutsu to further develop his abilities. Upon his return he entered an underground cage fighting circuit and quickly became a fan favorite. This lasted until his mother was murdered by his own stepfather, who thought she didn't respect him. Vega, in turn, killed his stepfather. The incident warped the mind of the young man twisting him into the sadistic monster that he was today. Recognizing his remorselessness and sheer ability Bison recruited him to his personal guard. Vega wears traditional pants, sash, shoes, and leggings of a matador, or bullfighter, and wears a mask during fights to protect his beautiful face. He wears a three pronged claw on his hand in battle.

Finally there was Sagat. Sagat was once a hero in his homeland, Thailand, and was known as the Emperor of Muay Thai, a style of kickboxing practiced in Thailand. He held the World Warrior tournament to prove that he was not only the strongest Muay Thai fighter but the strongest warrior in the world. His victory was all but assured when he faced Ryu and was able to defeat all of his attacks but in a shocking turn of events Ryu nearly killed Sagat in an attack when the kickboxer offered him a hand up. Sagat was consumed with anger and vowed revenge on Ryu no matter the cost. Sagat's own pupil, Adon, mocked him and challenged him for the title of Emperor of Muay Thai. Blinded by his rage, Sagat lost once again but beat his pupil so badly that the younger man was in the hospital for four months. When Bison offered his Shadowloo resources to find Ryu for a rematch Sagat reluctantly agreed, feeling he had dishonored himself already and his only driving force was revenge. Sagat is an enourmous man standing 7'5" and weighing 254 pounds. He has an eyepatch over one eye after he lost it in a fight with a man known as Go Hibiki. He wears purple and yellow boxing trunks and wears tape around his hands and feet to protect his knuckles and the soles of his feet.

The three warriors entered the room and aligned themselves side by side behind Bison awaiting their instructions. Bison stood and faced them, the determination visible in his eyes. He was about to set his final plans in motion and there was nothing that could stop him.

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Author's Notes:

This is my first ever fanfic although I used to read quite a few of these Street Fighter fics awhile back. This story is meant to take place sometime after the first Street Fighter game around the time frame of the Street Fighter Alpha games but of course the Street Fighter universe tends to be inconsistent sometimes so I will be changing things around to fit my story as well.

I would really appreciate any reviews but I am especially looking for constructive criticism of my writing. There are quite a few writers on here that I think are very talented and one of the main reasons I am writing here is to hopefully improve my writing so any advice would be very welcome.

Well, I hope you enjoy this first chapter and I will try to update regularly although I can't promise anything. I will be introducing some more Street Fighter characters in my next update as well as my own original character.


	2. Chapter 2

The rain crashed unrelentingly against the metal roof of the warehouse; the sound roaring through the room. The thunder was even worse seeming to shake the building at its very foundation.

As loud as it was it was still drowned out by the crowd that had gathered in the warehouse on this night. The cheering masses were gathered loosely around a vaguely marked ring in the center of the room. In the ring two fighters circled each other. The larger of the two seemed exhausted yet a look of determined anger could easily be read on his face. He was a very large man although he seemed to be carrying more weight on his body than would lend well to fighting. Despite this fact he was deceptively strong and far quicker than the crowd had imagined he would be. A veteran of the street fighting circuit and a crowd favorite, he was easily favored to win this match.

The other man was a much younger; he looked to be no more than 22 or 23 years old. He stood just under six feet tall and had a body that looked as if it had been carved from stone. His dirty blonde hair was cut short in a buzz cut. He was wearing black pants and no shirt. His name was Jake Corrigan. He smiled as he bounced from on leg to the other. He was enjoying himself. The fight was his life; it had been since childhood.

Jake's mind was wandering again. He was thinking about who his next opponent would be or replaying what had happened in this fight. He tried to stay focused but it was hard against the man he was fighting. The larger man had him beat on strength but his moves were predictable and he just didn't have the passion about fighting that Jake had. Jake had just been toying with him so far anyway, letting him tire himself out.

The larger man spit out the side of his mouth; blood was mixed with the saliva. He was furious. He had expected to tear this boy apart but he hadn't been able to land a single hit against him and each time he had swung it he ended up taking a few quick strikes. The kid's speed was incredible. And he was so tired. He knew he had to finish this quick if he was going to have a chance to salvage this fight. Just one good hit was all it would take. And he had just the attack to do it.

Jake just watched, amused, as the man worked out what he needed to do to beat him. Suddenly, as if getting a second wind, the big man dropped one leg back pushing off the ground to gain some forward momentum and charged. It looked as if he was going to attempt a tackle but just as he reached Jake he surged forward with a quick but powerful left jab. Jake was taken by surprise at the speed of the attack but was able to sidestep the first punch. A huge right hook came next immediately followed by left hook and finally the man threw all his weight into a right uppercut. Jake threw up his arms to block the next two attacks and as he stepped around the last uppercut he brought himself in close to the larger man. With the man bent over low to deliver the last attack it left their faces inches apart. Jake looked into the man's eyes and saw his shock and fear even as he brought a knee up into the man's ribcage feeling a sharp crack under the power of the attack. He continued the attack with a straight left punch delivered to his opponent's face.

The larger man fell heavily to the ground, unconscious. The crowd erupted into cheers as the fight came to a close. A couple of other fighters dragged the larger man away. Two new fighters made their way to the ring. Smiling again, Jake walked out of the ring over to where the other fighter's were getting ready and put on a black tanktop.

A man wearing a white t-shirt and jeans with hand wraps covering his hands approached Jake and shook his hand. The man's name was Cody Travers; he was celebrated once as a hero of Metro City for his part in destroying the Mad Gear gang. Jake and Cody had been friends for years, each of them regulars of Metro City's underground street fighting scene.

"Hell of a finish," Cody said chuckling. The sounds of the next round of fights raged on in the background. Cody glanced over Jake's shoulder to see how it was going.

Jake laughed. "Thanks. You ready for your fight? I'm not sure you're up to it," he replied jokingly.

"Yea right, just wait until you and I get in the rin…" Cody started but was cut short when suddenly the back door to the warehouse burst open slamming loudly into the metal wall.

The fighting stopped and crowd turned to watch as a blonde girl wearing a green leotard and red gauntlets stepped in out of the rain. She had a petite frame but something about her revealed her true strength. She had a scar running down her left cheek and her legs were sparsely adorned with green camouflage style paint. She stood facing the floor with her arms at her sides just inside the doorway as the rain dripped off of her body. She slowly looked up from the floor and faced the crowd of anxious onlookers.

"Who is in charge here?" the woman called out loud enough for everyone to hear. She scanned the room waiting for a response. She wasn't wasting any time for introductions.

"I am. Who the fuck are you?" stated a tall man walking towards her from the crowd. The annoyance and anger could be heard in his voice just as easily as read on his face. He was the reigning champion of this particular tournament and well known for his ruthless fighting style. He was feared amongst many of the fighters. He had black hair cut short and a crooked nose that looked as though it had been broken quite a few times. He was wearing black boxing trunks and no shirt showcasing his many tattoos.

He walked all the way up to her attempting to use his size to intimidate her. Just as he came within range she spun around with incredible speed and landed a fierce backhand across his face. Blood splattered from the across the floor and the man stumbled backwards.

"KILL THIS BITCH!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, both rage and panic apparent in his voice. She barely gave him time to finish before she rushed at him diving into the air at the last moment to deliver a devastating knee to the chin. She pushed herself back from his body into a back flip and landed flawlessly back on her feet. His body went sprawling through the air and came down with a thud, unmoving.

The street fighters looked at each unsure of what to do. One of the younger guys let his pride overcome his intelligence and charged at her. The others followed him into the fray. The audience members were screaming and making for the exit in a panic.

As soon as the other fighters ran to attack the new girl Jake and Cody glanced at each other and nodded. No words needed to be said. They were not about to allow a dozen or so fighters take on one girl no matter how well trained she was. They crossed the distance between them and the fight in no time and began taking apart their fellow street fighters.

The girl made quick work of the first fighter who was foolish enough to attack. His body crumpled to the floor after one swift kick upside the head. She dove feet first into the next attacker, twisting in the air for an unexpected but effective attack. AS she came to a stop she stood to face her many attackers and was able to deliver many quick strikes but her opponents were starting to overwhelm her when much to her relief two other fighters jumped in to help her. In a flurry of punches, kicks, and whatever else they could come up with to do some damage, the three warriors quickly dispatched the street fighters.

The girl looked at them and gave them an appreciative nod. She then turned to find the first man she took out, the man in charge of this little event. The champion regained consciousness just in time to see his attacker looming over him. She grabbed hold of his hair and lifted him to his feet while he squirmed in agony. As soon as he was standing she threw her weight into a punch to his gut. He bent over at the waist, the wind knocked out of him. She pushed him up against the wall of the warehouse with little effort. He wasn't trying to resist her now.

"Tell me what you know about Shadowloo," she said in a remarkably calm voice. She pressed one of her gauntlets to his throat to emphasize the importance of his cooperation.

"You crazy bitch!" he started until she put a little more pressure on his throat, slightly constricting the air being passed into his lungs. He looked into her eyes and saw callous determination. There would be no pity for him.

"They used to use us as a recruiting ground. They would send a guy by once a month or so and I would tell him about the new talent and he would hand me some cash. But they cut us off last week. I swear to God! He said we had become a liability," he hurriedly managed to choke out. The girl was clearly not pleased by this. Her free hand shot forward and her open palm slammed into his forehead knocking his head back into the wall, once again leaving him unconscious.

She stood there thinking about what he had said. Why would this tournament have become liability? Unless they knew she was coming. Damn it! How were they always one step ahead? She felt the familiar feelings of hopelessness and frustration overcome her.

"We need to get the fuck outta here," Cody said quietly to Jake as they watched the girl they had just help drop the unconscious body of the tournament's champion, "Somebody would have called the cops by now."

"Alright, you take off. I am going to grab the girl and get her out of here," Jake replied still never taking his eyes off of the girl. He had never seen anything like the display she had just put on.

"Cool, I'll catch you later," Cody said and they pounded fists. Cody started towards the door and after glancing back once more to look at the mess behind him he jogged out of the building and on to a safer location.

Jake approached the girl slowly, cautiously. She was looking at the ground again with her arms crossed across her chest. She looked as though she was deep in thought.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt but we need to get the hell out of here. The cops are probably on there way and they will take us all in. They won't care who did what," Jake explained putting a comforting hand on her back. She seemed to come out of a trance and looked up at him. She smiled a much kinder smile than we would have imagined possible after seeing what she was capable of. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," she told him.

"Come on, I'll get you someplace safe. I grew up in this city so I know this area. What's your name?" he asked offering his other hand to her.

She looked at him and despite her common sense telling her she had no way of knowing this guy or his intentions she felt herself wanting to trust him.

"My name is Cammy White," she told him while shaking his outstretched hand.

"It's nice to meet you Cammy. I'm Jake Corrigan. Now let's get out of here," he said while leading her out the door.

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Vega sat crouched in a cold, dark alleyway. He never seemed to notice the rain drizzling all around him. He focused his attention on the warehouse across from him and the two people stepping out of it. He felt a surge of jealous fury as he watched his beloved Cammy run into the distance with that insignificant weakling. He brought up his clawed hand up in front of his face and squeezed it into a fist. He was only consoled with the thought that he would soon be reunited with his love and he would have his revenge on this imposter who sought to seduce her.

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Author's Notes:

Thanks to everyone who reviewed my story. I sincerely appreciate it. I will try to keep in mind the tips you give me when I am writing new chapters. If any of you have fics you would like me to read please let me know and I will try to return the favor.

I see a lot of familiar faces which is awesome since I realized the other day that the last time I was here was in 2003.

Well, here is the new chapter. My first attempt at some combat so let me know what you think. And I promise I will reveal more about my character, Jake Corrigan, in upcoming chapters.


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